Cameron Norrie sees certain similarities between him and Rafael Nadal as the Briton believes his forehand down the line working at a high success rate is an indicator that he is playing his best tennis out there. Norrie, ranked at No 13 in the world, kicked off his grass season this week in front of his home fans at the Queen's Club.
In his first two grass matches of the year, Norrie saw off Miomir Kecmanovic and Jordan Thompson. Just like Nadal, Norrie is also a left-handed player. On the grass, Norrie suggests his forehand down the line is an even bigger weapon.
Norrie: I think I'm the same as Nadal in that aspect
“I think I’m the same as Rafa. When I’m feeling the forehand line and I’m finding good direction on it and it’s a great shot, you get to watch it fully up the line and you know exactly how well you’re hitting it.
I think with a lefty curling back in, I think when I’m hitting that one well, especially on the grass, it’s a good indicator when I’m playing well. So I think similar to Rafa in that aspect," Norrie said, via British newspaper i.
Meanwhile, Norrie is hoping to do big things during this year's grass season. Norrie, a five-time ATP champion, hasn't yet won a grass title. But Norrie has had some notable results on the grass. Exactly two years ago, Norrie made the Queen's final before losing to Matteo Berrettini.
Last year, Norrie reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at Wimbledon. In his first Grand Slam semifinal, Norrie was up by a set before Novak Djokovic came back to win their Wimbledon match in four sets. This summer, Norrie is hoping to make some notable results in front of his home fans - specifically, the 27-year-old Briton is hoping to contend for the Wimbledon title.